Decline in falls and broken hips a success story for New Zealand health care

The Health Quality & Safety Commission is celebrating the success of New Zealand public hospitals in reducing the number of in-hospital falls that result in a broken hip. New Zealand appears to be the first country to achieve this on a national scale.

A paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal today highlights a sector-wide commitment to preventing harm and in reducing the number of falls resulting in serious harm in New Zealand.

This includes a 40 percent reduction in falls occurring in public hospitals which resulted in a broken hip since December 2014. The number of falls in our public hospitals leading to a hip fracture has fallen for six consecutive quarters.

Many international initiatives to reduce this kind of harm from falls have not succeeded.